Meliodas' Short Shorts
by Advocaat
Summary: A fluffy collection of short-ish one-shots. Chapter 2: Elizabeth is concerned about how her people see the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins.
1. Trust

Hey y'all! This is a going to be a dumping ground for any Nanatsu no Taizai shorts that I end up writing. They'll probably mostly be Melizabeth because I'm a sucker for romance and those two make me d'awww hardcore, so consider yourself warned.

**Short #1: Trust**

Pairing: Meliodas x Elizabeth

Elizabeth woke with a jolt. Her chest expanded and retracted in quick succession and her eyes opened wide, straining to adjust to the dark as her heart pounded against her ribcage. Adrenaline coursed through her as shadows of night terrors continued to be conjured by her imagination, but after a drawn out moment her breathing slowed and her head cleared. _Just a dream,_ she assured herself, raising a hand to her chest. _Just a nightmare._

Lowering her hand, Elizabeth cast a glance around her darkened bedroom in the Boar Hat. Her eyes had adjusted now and she could make out the outlines of furniture illuminated by the few pale bars of moonlight that streamed through the room's only window. In the wee hours of the morning the Boar Hat presented a very different image from its typical daytime liveliness. The whole establishment was silent; its air still and its colors muted. It was odd to Elizabeth, who was unaccustomed to the bar's nighttime demeanor, but not uncomfortable. As her gaze settled on the waning crescent hanging just within view outside her window Elizabeth attempted to recall the dream that had woken her, but the images had already faded back into the depths of her subconscious and try as she might she couldn't recall them.

With a tiny, barely there sigh, she turned her head down to look at the figure slumbering peacefully beside her. Meliodas hadn't stirred in the slightest upon her awakening—not that he could've if he'd wanted to, being bound as he was every night by a concerned Hawk. Elizabeth watched him breathe slowly and deeply and a pang of guilt rose within her. It was because of her that he was forced to sleep constricted by rope. No matter how she looked at it, it couldn't be comfortable. Of course she knew that he could easily break out if he wanted to, but he allowed himself to be subjected to the ropes for her sake.

He allowed himself to be subjected to many things for her sake.

Elizabeth frowned and her eyes steeled with resolve. This would end tonight. Maybe Meliodas was prone to being a little handsy with her, but hadn't he proved over and over again that he wouldn't hurt her? He had always done his very best to protect her, even to the extent of putting his own life on the line without a second thought. And maybe there were things about him that she didn't know...things that even frightened her a little...but there was no one in the world she trusted more than him.

_That's right,_ she thought as her fingers found the knots holding his ropes together. _I trust Lord Meliodas._ A few seconds and a handful of light tugs later the slumbering boy was free and the ropes were tossed carelessly to the floor by the bed. "There you go," she whispered as quietly as she could as she settled back down beside him. "Sweet dreams, Lord Meliodas."

Within the space of a few breaths she was asleep once more; a small, satisfied smile on her face.

When it was clear that she was soundly back in dreamland, a pair of bright, emerald eyes alighted on her motionless form. They gazed intently and unwaveringly at her sleeping face for a prolonged moment, then their owner's arms snaked carefully around her, embracing her gently but securely. "Sweet dreams, Elizabeth."


	2. Suspicion

**Short #2: Suspicion**

Pairing: Meliodas x Elizabeth

**Warning: Contains spoilers up to chapter 107 of the manga**

"It's suspicious," a gruff voice said lowly to his buddy as they passed. "I don't like it."

"Nothing we can do, though," the other man responded, his words just barely audible. "The king has spoken."

Elizabeth shivered and turned from the two men to look down at her short companion. Meliodas didn't appear bothered by the men's words at all. Elizabeth wondered if he even heard them.

Of course, it was obvious what the men were talking about. In the days following the Sins' re-acceptance by the kingdom, an air of unease had fallen over many of the soldiers. It was hard for them to accept that the once feared criminals were in fact allies of the kingdom. Meliodas' return in particular had been met with more than a little suspicion. In the past few days Elizabeth had heard more rumors about her small golden-haired friend than she had in the whole of their journey together.

Simply walking alongside the Sins' captain, she could feel the mistrustful stares boring into her from all sides. It was all she could do not to fidget nervously. She almost let out a startled "_eep!'_ when she felt her hand being grasped suddenly, but she was able to stop herself when she saw that it was just Meliodas. Seeing his calm emerald gaze turned up at her eased some of the tension from her body and her previously bunched up shoulders relaxed.

"Ignore them, Elizabeth," he stated easily, his usual unconcerned grin appearing on his face.

So he _had_ heard. Of course. Nothing escaped Meliodas.

"Aren't you bothered by what the knights say about you, Lord Meliodas?" she questioned, unable to simply let the matter drop without fully addressing it with him.

Meliodas' expression turned thoughtful, his lips pulling into a contemplative frown. Elizabeth waited for his answer curiously, wondering at the amount of thought he had to put into what seemed to her to be a simple question. Finally, he locked eyes with her again and said, "Well, sure. I guess it does."

Elizabeth blinked. He didn't seem all that bothered to her. But then, he always was tricky to read.

"But it doesn't really matter if not everyone likes me or trusts me," he continued, surprising her. She thought he would just leave her with a short, vague answer like he usually did. "As long as the people I care about do."

He smiled up at her again, his wide eyes shining in a way that was just so Meliodas, and squeezed her hand before looking away and beginning to walk again. Elizabeth hadn't even noticed they'd stopped.

A blush blossomed on her cheeks and she smiled happily down at the back of his fluffy golden head as she allowed herself to be lead down the boulevard back to the hill where the bar and all her friends were waiting. _Yes,_ she thought, a bounce entering her step. _It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, as long as we believe in him. _


End file.
